Filter frame



.April 17, 1945. F. E. woLcoTT ET A1. 2,373,987

FILTER FRAME Filed April'zl, 1941 Patented Apr. 17, 1945 FILTER FRAMEFrank E. Wolcott and Louis V. Lucia, West. Hart- `,ford,` Conn.,assignors to The S`ilex Company, Hartford, Conn., a corporation of'Connecticut .Application April 21, 1941, Serial No. 389,482

I4 Claims. (015210-152) This invention relates` to improvements inltering devices and more particularly to such devices as are used in theupper bowls `of vacuum typecoffee makers for filtering the brew from anupper bowl into a lower bowl.

Filtering. devices of this class, .such as heretofore produced,have'commonly consisted of a frame requiring a iiltering. member., orcloth, which must be especially constructed in o-rder to iit the saidframe and be retained thereon.. Furthermore, these filters have beenexpensive to produce and have made it necessary that a supply of thembekept available so thatthe icoiizee .maker could be used when needed.`

It is also commonly known that, in such filtering devices, itis veryimportant that the filtering cloth be supported. in a spaced positionfrom thebottom of the. bowl and in such a manner that the pressure ofthebrew will not cause it -to rest against. the said bottom and therebyprevent ecient filtrationy through the cloth.

The object of the present invention,l therefore, iis to provide aiiltering. device, particularly for vacuum type coffee make-rs', withwhich any ordinary piece. of cloth material, which is available, may beused as a iilter without requiring: any special work thereon or that it.be oi any particular size or shape. A further object of the invention;is to provide such a iiltering device consisting of a frame which iseasy to use, inexpensive to produce and highly eiiicient in itsoperation.

A still further object is to provide .such a iiltering device having a:trarne with. means for supporting a filter cloth well/above the: bottomof the coffee maker bowl, `tothereby assure. free iiltrationtherethrough and maximum efficiency so that the passing of the brew fromthe upper to the lower bowl of the coffeemaker is'accomplished in aminimum amount of time this being also highly desirable in coffee makersoi the Vacuum type. f

Further objects of this invention will'. be. more clearly understoodfrom the following description and from the accompanying drawing Ainwhich:

Fig. 1 is a side' View of our improved filtering device, in centralVertical section, land as used in an upper bowlior vacuum type coffeemakers.

Fig. 2 is a side view in elevation of. said iiltering device and showinga iiltering cloth `attached thereto.

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the same,

Fig. 4 is a plan `view of the frame of. said filtering device. i

Fig. 5 is aside view thereof in elevation Fig.. 6 .is a side View inelevation of a modified fiom of a iiltering device embodying the presentirnierrtion-.`

As illustrated in the drawing, the `numeral 5 denotes an upper bowl of avacuum. type coffee maker which has a stem 6 thatis adapted to extendinto a lower bowl of said co'ee maker ina Well knownmanner.

I Such upper bowls may include a well l inthe bottom thereof havingdownwardly diverging walls 8` which surround the opening in the stem 6=.y

Our improved' filtering device preferably con sists oi a. framehaving. ahandle portion Swh'ich extends upwardly from an annular portion. I .thatis. preferably in the nature of a wireI spring having a. single coil.that' overlaps for a portion thereof,.as at I I, to eliminate a breakinthe periphery of the said annular portion.

A projection l2v extends from one end of the wire iorming said irame andcrosswiseto the portion til. The. said bar is arched and isA pro.

vided with a piercing .point I3 for the purpose -to be hereinafterdescribed.

A filter cloth I4, of any suitable iiltering material and in. the formof awdisc. or other shape, maybe mounted on said frame by simply forcingthe point I3 of vthe projection I2 through the said cloth, as indicatedat I5, whereupon the upper portion of the cloth is carried over thevarch inthe bar I2; and retained on saidvirame substantially in theposition illustrated iin Fig. 2, wherein it is spaced from the bottomI6.

The said filtering device may then be lowered into `the upper bowlandgforcedintov the recess l, to: the position clearly illustrated inFig. 1, wherein the marginal portions of the cloth, which `extendoutside of the portion I0' of the frame,

willbe positioned upwardly and partially around the wire form-ing thesaid frame portion and clamped,V by `.spring pressure in said portion,against? the inner surfaces of the walls 8 and against bottom I6` of theupper bowl; thereby providing continuous engagement between'- the clothand the walls of said well. and eliminating the possibility' oi the brewleading around the V edges of the filtering device.

By overlapping the portion oi the frame, as at vI I, the same may :beforced into the recess l simply by turningthe portion 9-a of the handlevin a clockwise direction while forcing it downwardly against the mouthof. the well. This permits the portion I0 to contract, as it passes theconstricted portion ofthe well at its mouth, and

then expand and force the upstanding marginal portions of the lteringcloth i4 against the walls of the well as shown in Fig. 1.

The handle 9 and the projection i2 are formed to provide portions il andI8 thereof, which extend parallel to the plane of the coil i E, in orderto prevent the overlapping portion Il from becoming displaced from itssuperimposed position with relation to the underlying portion of thesaid coil, While the same is being forced into or pulled out of the welll.

From the above description it will be understood that with our improvediilter device it is possible to use any ordinary piece of clothmaterial; therefore providing great convenience by eliminating thenecessity of having specially constructed lter cloths which may not beavailable at times.

It will also be seen that the operation of attaching a cloth to theframe I0, by simply forcing the point I3 through the cloth, as at i5,and thereby automatically arching the cloth to support it away from thebottom` i8, may be easily understood by persons using our improvedltering device, so that the possibility of mounting the cloth on theframe incorrectly is thereby eliminated.

In the modified form of our invention, as illustrated in Fig. 6 of thedrawing, the ltering frame is of practically the same construction as inFigs. 4 and 5 with the exception that the projection l2-a is bentupwardly and provided, at its end, xwith a hook 26 which is axiallydisposed in the frame and has a point 2l.

In this form of frame, the iilter cloth M-a is attachedrto the frame byinserting the point 2| through the central portion of the cloth so as tosupport the same from the center as clearly illustrated in the drawing.

It will further Ibe seen that we have provided an improved frame for afiltering device having novel means whereby a lter cloth may be readilyattached thereto for lowering the said cloth downwardly into the well 7at the bottom ofthe coffee maker bowl.

We claim: f

l. For a ycoffee maker of the vacuum type comprising an upper bowl, aiiltering device including a wire frame having an upwardly projectinghandle, a portion adapted to position a iiltering member within saidbowl, and a projection in said frame extending through said member andsup-porting the same above an outlet in the bottom of said bowl.

2. For a ooifee maker of the vacuum type including an upper bowl havinga depressionA in fthe bottom thereof and a hollow stem depending fromsaid depression; a lter comprising a wire frame adapted to clamp afiltering member against the walls of said depression, a projection onsaid frame insertible through said ltering mem-ber to underlie the sameand thereby support said iiltering member above the opening in said stemand spaced from the bottom of said depression.

3. For a coiee maker of the character described, a lter comprising aframe constructed of a single piece of -wire and having an annularportion, a handle portion extending vertically therefrom, and a filtermember supporting portion formed from an end of said wire and extendingcrosswise to said annular portion and adapted to be inserted throughsaid filter member and underlie the same.

4. For a coiee maker bowl including a recess in the bottom thereof, altering device of the character described including a wire frame havinga portion adapted to engage one side of a iiltering member for clampingit against the walls of said recess, and a projection adapted to extendthrough and engage the opposite side of said ltering member for spacingthe same above an opening in the bottom of said recess.

. 5. A ltering device of the character described adapted to retain asheet of ltering cloth in position by clamping the same in contact withthe walls of a recess, said device comprising a frame formed from asingle piece oi wire `and 'having a portion for overlying said lteringcloth and forcing the marginal portions thereof against said walls, aportion adapted to extend through and underlie said ltering cloth forsupporting the same above the bottom of said recess and an openingtherein, and a portion extending upwardly to provide a handle for saidframe.

6. For a filtering device of the character described, a trame formedfrom a piece of wire and comprising an annular portion in the form of acoil for clamping a strainer sheet in position over an opening, asupporting projection within said coil extending upwardly therefrom andhaving a hook at the end thereof insertible through the saidstrainer-sheet for supporting said sheet above the bottom of said frame,and a handle portion extending vertically from said annular portion.

7. A ltering device of the character described comprising a frameconstructed of a single piece of wire having an annular portion adaptedto rest upon a surface for clamping a lterin-g member over an openingtherein, a handle portion extending upwardly from said annular portion,a projection within said annular portion, Land a hook at the end of saidprojection; the said hook being axially disposed in said frame andadapted, to support the ltering member above the bottom of` the frame.

8. A iiltering device of the character described including a frameconstructed from a single piece of wire and having an annular coiledportion, a handle on Said coiled portion, and an end portion extendingcrosswise to said coiled portion; the said end portion having a point atthe end thereof for piercings. filtering member and being adapted tounderlie and support the said liltering member at a higher level thanthe bottom of said coiled portion.

9. In a coiee maker including an upper bowl having a depression in thebottom thereof and an opening in the bottom of said depression, a iiltercomprising a frame constructed of a single piece of wire and having avertical handle portion, an annular clamping portion, a supportingprojection extending crosswise to said annular portion, and a filteringmember positioned under said coiled portion with the marginal portionsthereof clamped by said coiled portion against the walls of saiddepression and a central portion of said filtering member beingsupported by said supporting projection over the said opening.

l0. For a coffee maker of the character described, a ltering deviceincluding a wire frame having a coiled portion, a vertically archedprojection extending across said coiled portion, and a handle extendingupwardly from said coiled portion; the said coiled portion being adaptedto retain a lter member in clamped position against the sides of arecess in said coffee maker and the said extension being adapted tosupport the central portion of said iiltering member above an opening inthe bottom of said recess.

11. For a device of the character described, a filtering deviceincluding a wire frame and a lter cloth; the said frame beingconstructed of a single piece of wire and formed to provide aring-shaped portion adapted to rest upon the upper surface of said clothfor clamping it in position; an end of said wire extending across saidring portionarid underlying the central portion of said cloth to supportit over an opening in said device, and a handle portion extendingupwardly from said ring-shaped portion.

12. For a device of the character described, a filtering deviceincluding a frame for retaining a iiltering member in filteringposition;` the said.

frame ibeing constructed vof a single piece of wire` and formed toprovide a ring-shaped portion for yclamping the filtering memberagainstthe walls of a recess in said device; the said portion havingoverlapping ends, one of said ends extending upwardly to provide ahandle for said vframe and the other end extending across said n saidsheet will underlie the frame and a vportion i `ring-shaped portion andbeing arched to' support 14. For a lter assembly comprising a wirelframe having a projection extending from said frame, a sheet of perviousmaterial having an aperture for receiving said projection and therebylocating the said sheet centrally on the filter frame and in positionwherein aportion of the thereof will overlie the said projection and besupported thereby over an opening Afor liquid.

FRANK E. WOLCOTT. LGUIS V. LUCIA.

